Late Night Swim
by Paine Falis
Summary: Arnold is back from San Lorenzo, and its a hot summer night. Its been a while since he's seen Helga, so what happens when he runs into her one night at the community pool they both broke into? Will they start a budding romance, or run from their feelings once more?


A/N: So, after rewatching episodes of Hey Arnold! on NickToons, and of course watching A LOT of episodes on YouTube, I've fallen in love with the show once more. Being a true 90's kid, and missing the couple that never was, I've been reading others wonderful fanfictions, watching AMV tributes to Helga and Arnold, and of course looking up pictures, I've decided to make my own contribution by writing my own fanfiction. It will be a oneshot, unless others beg me to continue, then I'll see what I can do...otherwise enjoy! Read and Review if you liked it.

* * *

It was late one summer night, Helga G. Pataki was at home neck deep in homework and the downstairs arguements weren't helping her concentrate. She growled,"Criminy, can't I get any peace around here?" she had her door closed with her mattress pinned against it, yet the yelling still seeped through. Helga was now 17, her unibrow was long gone and even had her new brows thinned down. Her hair no longer consisted of her large pink bow or pig tails, yet instead sported blonde hair that ran down to her lower back, and a pink hair band instead of a bow.

Helga groaned and turned her stereo on, and that seemd to help. She smiled and once more opened her math book and began writing problems down and solving them. She was smart just like her sister Olga Pataki, and even won a few awards for being the best in class or never absent, yet Miram nor Bob ever attended her ceremonies making her feel unloved as she always felt growing up. Helga had finally finished half her homework when suddenly large pounding knocks erupted from her door,"HEY! Turn that music down missy! Your mother and I are trying to talk!" yelled Big Bob.

"Yeah... "talk" is an understatement." Helga whispered as she turned off her stereo.

"That's better! Now get your ass down here Olga, it's time for dinner!" yelled Bob as he stomped down the stairs.

"IT'S HELGA! HELGA WITH AN H!" screamed Helga tried of hearing her sisters name as her own,"Criminy you'd think after all these years they'd learn my name..." Helga pulled on her hair,"I gotta get out of here. I can't concentrate on anything."

Helga stood on her desk and opened her window,"Maybe I'll break into the city pool...I could use a nice swim..." She crawled out carefully and stood on the tree just outside her window and began to crawl down. She peeked inside her familys kitchen window and saw them eating and still arguing and not once did they ever call her name as she stood there watching for 5 minutes,"Guess they won't miss me...heck they never have..." She sighed and began to walk the night streets heading towards the closed pool. On her way there she stopped at Arnold Shortman's home. The boarding house looked the same, Arnold's little shrub was still in the window and the same sign was posted, 'No Kids! Pets OK"

She sighed,"Oh Arnold...Foolishly I've loved you for too long, never have you once returned my affections for you, and yet...I've grown to let you go. To love whom ever you wish to love even if it isn't me." She smiled at the building with sad eyes, and continued her walk.

* * *

Inside Arnolds home, Arnold himself was finding it hard to catch up on sleep. He recently returned from living with his parents in San Lorenzo; Arnold had gotten homesick, even though he visited every summer, but one person kept crossing his mind, but more shouting interupted his thoughts. His grandmother Gertie was screaming and hollaring as she jumped around in a cheerleading outfit and cheering for some imaginary team, while his grandfather Phil was too busy arguing with Ernie Pots as they argued back in forth why didn't Phil let Ernie knock the boarding house down and make it larger and more "eye" pleasing and Phil telling him to leave if he was unhappy with the building. Upstairs near Arnolds room, he could hear Oskar Kokashka being told off by his wife Suzie Kokashka and plates breaking and screaming could be heard as well.

Mr. Hyunh was the only one quiet and that was presumed he was even in the house. His daughter Mai Hyunh had been down visiting so it was more than likely he was out having dinner with his daughter catching up. Arnold growled,"Even way up hear with my stair way closed I can hear everyone...At this rate I'll never get some sleep. I better leave and wait until they all calm down...Maybe I'll head over to Geralds..." He got up and headed to his stairs that led to the rooftop. He climbed down his fire escape and headed off towards Geralds. Once there he remembered,"Dang it, thats right! Gerald said he and his family were heading off to the beach this weekend." He sighed,"Well...it is hot outside...maybe I'll head over to the city pool. No one should be there this late...even if its wrong for me to break in. But I need to cool down and relax."

* * *

Helga arrived at the city pool, and jumped the fence. She landed with a thud as her shoe lace had gotten tangled. "Omph!" she looked up and saw her shoelace was hanging. "Perfect. All well its just a stupid shoe lace, no use crying over it." She headed towards the bleachers. Slowly she took off her shoes and socks. She smiled,"Peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask for?" She glanced around and stood and walked around the area making sure no creeps were hanging around and after being sure she removed her pants. She wore boy shorts that were black and she sat on a step letting her body get used to the water which wasn't that cold since earlier that day it had been over 106. "Olga this, Olga that, why can't you be like Olga? It's your fault she doesn't visit, its your fault we're so miserable..." Helga sighed hurt,"Criminy how I hate being compared to her. Once I turn 18 I'm out of that house...I don't care if I'm a bum on the streets, I'll be happy once I'm outta there."

She took off her top to reveal a black bra with a pink small bow in the middle. Helga loved pink still, even if she was tomboy-ish, she loved the color. She sank her body completely and let the cool yet still warm water run up to her neck. She dunked her head and began swimming laps around the pool.

Arnold arrived at the gate, and saw a shoelace hanging. Arnold pulled at it,"Huh, I wonder who left this here." He listened and didn't hear giggles or splashing since unbeknownst to him, Helga was floating now. He hopped the fence himself and headed towards the area where Helga undressed. He saw the bleachers and stopped when he heard mumbling. "I can't wait...if only I were 18 now...the places I could go...Even if you weren't there...Oh my beloved why can't I stop thinking of you? How I torment myself every day of every past year and yet here I am, 17 and still in love. Oh what a fool...Oh Ar-"

"Helga?" asked Arnold.

Helga gasped and panicked as she looked at her self half naked,"ARNOLD?!" she screamed,"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE FOOTBALL HEAD? ARE YA STALKING ME OR SOMETHING? Besides weren't you living in San Lorenzo?"

"S-sorry Helga, I didn't think anybody was here and I just got home yesterday."

"Well there is! Now beat it!" She said blushing covering her breasts even though they were behind her bra.

"Well that's not fair! I'm hot too and I came here for a swim, and I'm not gonna let you hog the pool Helga." Arnold said crossing his arms. He rolled his eyes, finding it annyoing and amusing both at the same time, that the girl that bullied him throughout his life, was still mean and they still argued back and forth after all these years.

"..." Helga didn't know what to say. Here she was half naked and Arnold wasn't leaving until he got his swim too. "Fine. Just...Just say on that side..."

Arnold rolled his eyes and began to remove his black and red plaid shirt. Helga couldn't help but stare, she had her nose just above water as she acted like she wasn't looking. Arnold was 17 and his body had filled out. He had nice biceps and pecs and a six pack. Arnolds hair was still spiky yet shorter and the blue hat was long gone. He removed his pants and shoes and was left down to his boxers. He sighed and yelled,"JURANAMO!" as he cannon balled into the pool.

Helga held in her gasp and growled,"BE QUIET! Are you trying to get us caught?!"

"Aw calm down Helga. No one is around at this hour. Relax." he began to swim around.

Helga felt so vulnerable. Even if it was Arnold, someone who would never hurt a fly let alone hurt her, but she felt like an easy target.

"Yeah well you never know football head! I really don't feel like dealing with the authorities tonight..." Helga sighed as she remained still and looked up at the moon, which was shining brightly down on them.

"Rough night?" asked Arnold as he began to look up too.

"Eh, sort of. Just too much excitement going on at my house...what about you Arnoldo? What brings you out here?"

"The same I guess. I just needed to get away from the boarding house for a few hours." Arnold resumed his swimming and Helga began to swim too. Arnold felt great that Helga wasn't putting up much of a front, and wasn't yelling at him or calling names. 'In fact,' Arnold began to realize, 'She stopped calling me names and picking fights with me since 9th grade...Maybe she finally changed.'

"So football head, whats on your mind? You got quiet on me." Helga began to swim towards the steps now that she felt the now sudden tension.

'On second thought.."Nothing. I was just thinking is all."

"Oh? Bout what?" Helga began to put her black tank top on and sat on the bleachers.

"Remember that time in San Lorenzo? When you saved me from that jaguar?" asked Arnold.

"Sheesh you still remember that? That was like 8 years ago." Helga rolled her eyes and yet blushed as she remembered the events.

_When they had finally traveled to San Lorenzo, Helga and Arnold managed to get separated from the group. They began to argue as always until they heard a twig crack behind them, and they heard a loud roar. Helga and Arnold screamed as a jaguar pounced at them. Helga noticed they were close to the cliff and noticed the jaguar was about to pounce on Arnold when she pushed him off the cliff and fell with him, with the large cats claws had scraped Helga's arm. After the fall and river struggle, Arnold helped Helga ashore and noticed her bleeding arm. He smiled and said __'Thanks Helga...that was...really brave.'_

_Helga had rolled her eyes,"__Yeah yeah..."__ Arnold then ripped a large piece of his shirt off and wrapped it around her arm. Arnold then began to stare deep into her eyes, and it hit Arnold __'Her hair...it looks like...the imposter Cecile...it was Helga all along...she was the one who enchanted me that night...HELGA'_

_Helga began to blush,"__What..what are you staring at football head?"_

_Arnold grabbed her hand__,"I've had a long time to think about my feelings for you since the FTI incident Helga...and I've realized that I like you too...well a lot more than I thought...__" and with that he leaned in and kissed her. Yet after that, they never talked about it, leaving Helga to feel it was a "in-the-heat-of-the-moment" kiss again._

"Yeah" Arnold chuckled,"I mean it was hard to forget..."

"Yeah tell me about it hair boy. You kissed me and Geraldo interrupted us." Helga snorted," Wasn't that great of a kiss anyway" she laughed.

Arnold grunted,"Sure...what ever you say Helga."

"Anyway, how was San Lorenzo? I mean, I thought you'd never come back to this shitty town."

"Well, it was great to finally spend time with my family. They taught me a lot about medicine, and told me a lot of mythology and what not. And man, the sights over there were amazing" Arnold chuckled.

Helga didn't say anything, but smiled," Well I'm glad for ya Arnold. You deserved to be happy."

"I guess. So what about you? How have you been?" Arnold hopped out of the pool.

Helga rolled her eyes, and leaned back against the bleachers that were a little higher, and she looked up at the moon," What does it matter..."

"Well, I'd like to know how you've been."

Helga laughed," If you insist." She pushed her wet locks out of her eyes," Shitty like always. Bob and Miriam still argue every damn day... Bob still calls me Olga... Miriam sank back into her addiction to alcohol... Olga hasn't visited for 6 years, and Bob and Miriam take it out on me, calling me a failure, and what not, even though I've brought home my own trophies, but...they're never regarded as important compared to Olga's. They say its my fault she doesn't visit... Bob's become more violent and louder than he's ever been, but I think that's because he's hooked on his own drugs..."

Arnold looked at the small framed, strong willed girl. He could see she was holding a lot of sadness and rage behind her eyes," Bob's on drugs too?"

"Not drugs per say... He's become addicted to morphine ever since he had surgery on his back, so he has a lot of withdrawals and breaks a lot of things, and somethings he'll smash things Miriam or I own... And well Miriam...she just drowns it all out with her liquor... leaving me to fend for myself...like I always have."

"Helga, I'm sorry to hear that..."

Helga laughed again," I don't need your sympathy Arnoldo... It's fine. Come next year, I'm so out of there."

"But where will you go?"

"Who knows... who cares..." Helga laughed again. She grabbed her pants and put them on, " I mean, its not like Bob or Miriam will ever come looking for me."

"But running away won't solve anything Helga." Arnold put his own pants back on," Besides, what about your friends? Phoebe?"

"Phoebe has her own life now, and I can't be troubling her with my problems like I used to in grade school..." Helga began to put her socks on, and than laced her shoes," It's been good seeing you again Arnold, guess I'll see you around."

"Wait, well, what about me?"

Helga felt her heart skip a beat than she shook her head," Yeah, what about you?"

"I'm here to stay Helga... I can try and help you out..."

"What are you going to do? Have an intervention with my family?"

"No, I mean, well...Look, the reason I came back was because..."

Helga spun around," Yeah?"

"I came back because I missed you...I know I haven't written to you a lot ever since...our kiss, but you got to believe me that I did have the same feelings for you."

"Did?"

"I still do, I just wasn't sure if you were still here. I mean, all the times I visited during the summer, I never saw you. I mean, I asked Phoebe when she was with Gerald, but... all she ever told me was I'm sure she's fine." Arnold smiled," It hurts me to see the way your own family treats you, when you deserve a much better life."

"Oh Arnold... your sweet, but a terrible liar. My lifestyle isn't my choice, but its what it is. I'm sure there were plenty of girls in San Lorenzo, but its not like I'm jealous or anything. I'm glad to hear that you felt the same for me, but... I've loved you since preschool. I feel like...its just time to finally move on."

Arnold felt his own heart shift," But... I came back for you...I came back to see you. Sure I miss Gerald and the others, but I missed you the most. Helga, I'll never forget our kiss in that jungle, and I don't want to."

"So don't. I got to go Arnold. Maybe I'll see you around." She turned to walk out, when suddenly Arnolds hand seized her arms, spun her around, and his warm soft lips pressed themselves against her own. Helgas eyes widened, but she felt her heart skip again. She managed to free her arms from Arnolds grip, and she wrapped them around his cool body. Arnold laughed to himself,' This is so unlike me, but... Helga is the one I've been waiting for'

They broke apart, and both were blushing like mad. Helga smiled," Do... you really mean it?" She felt dumb letting her soft side no one saw out, but she felt as if she could around him now.

"I did, and I still do. I love you Helga, I'm sorry it took me so long to come home, and I'm sorry it took me a long time to realize my feelings for you, but... now that I'm home to stay, will you go out with me?"

"Yes I will" Helga smiled widely, and the new couple hugged and resumed their spots on the bleachers.

As the moon began to grow larger and brighter, signaling the lateness, they stood. "Helga, don't go home to that house, stay with me."

"Slow down Arnold." Helga laughed," I hate it as much as you, but for now I've got to. I promise I'll stay another time. But for now, walk me home?"

"I always do." Arnold smiled, and outstretched his hand, as the couple hopped the fence, and they began their walk home, the new romance was destined to be forever.


End file.
